Dogs have been our best friends for thousands of years and have helped us in countless ways. They have protected us and our crops from danger thousands of years ago and now they help reduce our stress. Service dogs help people who have disabilities or disorders get around and when they need it most. Many people rely on service dogs because they are trained to sense when something may be going wrong. For example, when someone is having an anxiety attack, the dog will bring water and medication. Whenever someone is feeling down you can always count on dogs to help you feel better. Dogs can sense when a person is unhappy and will try to comfort them in their own way. Professor Arsenault’s dog Freddy not only provides companionship but also happiness.
Freddy was 6 weeks old when his family first got him from the Furry Friends Network. He is a beagle and possibly mixed with a jack russell. He is a very sweet dog and never fails to put a smile on a person’s face. Freddy can sense when something is off or when he feels that a person is sad. When he notices this, he will lay next to you or put his head in your lap to comfort you. Every time his family leaves the house they give him two treats. Freddy eats one immediately and saves the other for when they come back. By doing this, it automatically puts a smile on their face and Freddy is always so happy to see them. These small things can completely change a person’s day to something good. A way that Freddy helps Professor Arsenault physically is that he gets a lot of exercise when going on runs with Freddy. Since Freddy is really energetic, it encourages Professor Arsenault to run.
Dogs encourage healthy behaviors in humans in many ways. Studies have shown that dogs can lower your blood pressure, increase serotonin and dopamine levels, help you live longer, and reduce your risk of depression. The companionship of a dog is very powerful and can have a lot of positive effects on the human body. They can also help you meet new people and add structure to your daily routine. This can be very helpful because it forces you to do things in a timely manner and could start your day off in a good mood (Lundgren, Robinson & Segal, 2020). Lastly, studies have also shown that dogs can help kids who have autism and adults who have chronic schizophrenia with their social skills. Being in the presence of a dog could improve life and your overall mood. It was also proven that families who got a dog participated in more family activities and their children’s friends started to come over more. People without dogs did not have similar results. (Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K., 2012)
Dogs do so much for us and I hope that we can live up to how boundless their love is for others.
Works cited:
Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012, July 9). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: The possible role of oxytocin. Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3408111/
Robinson, L. (n.d.). The Health and Mood-Boosting Benefits of Pets. Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs.htm
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